Lev 22 | HCSB | STEP | The Lord spoke to Moses :

Leviticus 22

Priests and Their Food

1 The Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to deal respectfully with the holy offerings of the Israelites that they have consecrated to Me, so they do not profane My holy name; ^a I am ^{▼▼Yahweh/Yah: Or The Lord; the personal name of God in Hebrew; "Yah" is the shortened form of the name.}Yahweh. 3 Say to them: If any man from any of your descendants throughout your generations is in a state of uncleanness yet approaches the holy offerings that the Israelites consecrate to the Lord, that person will be cut off from My presence; I am Yahweh. 4 No man of Aaron’s descendants who has a skin disease ^{▼▼Or has leprosy or scale disease} or a discharge is to eat from the holy offerings until he is ^{▼▼clean: When something is clean, it is holy or acceptable to God. When it is unclean, it is unholy (such as an unclean spirit). The term can be used in a ritual sense to apply to moral standards for living.}clean. Whoever touches anything made ^{▼▼unclean: When something is clean, it is holy or acceptable to God. When it is unclean, it is unholy (such as an unclean spirit). The term can be used in a ritual sense to apply to moral standards for living.}unclean by a dead person or by a man who has an emission of semen, 5 or whoever touches any swarming creature that makes him unclean or any person who makes him unclean – whatever his uncleanness – 6 the man who touches any of these will remain unclean until evening ^f and is not to eat from the holy offerings unless he has bathed his body with water. 7 When the sun has set, he will become clean, and then he may eat from the holy offerings, for that is his food. ^g 8 He must not eat an animal that died naturally or was mauled by wild beasts, ^{▼▼Lit eat a carcass or a mauled beast
,} ⁱ making himself unclean by it; I am Yahweh. 9 They must keep My instruction, ^j or they will be ^{▼▼guilt/guilty: The liability to be punished for a fault, a sin, an act, or an omission unless there is forgiveness or atonement; the term normally concerns an objective fact, not a subjective feeling.}guilty and die because they profane it; I am Yahweh who sets them apart.

10 “No one outside a priest’s family ^{▼▼Lit No stranger
,} ^m is to eat the holy offering. A foreigner staying with a priest or a hired hand is not to eat the holy offering. 11 But if a priest purchases someone with his money, that person may eat it, and those born in his house may eat his food. 12 If the priest’s daughter is married to a man outside a priest’s family, ^{▼▼Lit man, a stranger} she is not to eat from the holy contributions. ^{▼▼Lit the contribution of holy offerings} 13 But if the priest’s daughter becomes widowed or divorced, has no children, and returns to her father’s house as in her youth, she may share her father’s food. But no outsider may share it. 14 If anyone eats a holy offering in error, ^p he must add a fifth to its value and give the holy offering to the priest. ^q 15 The priests must not profane the holy offerings the Israelites give to the Lord 16 by letting the people eat their holy offerings and having them bear the penalty of restitution. ^r For I am Yahweh who sets them apart.”

Acceptable Sacrifices

17 The Lord spoke to Moses: 18 “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites and tell them: Any man of the house of Israel or of the foreign residents ^s in Israel who presents his offering ^t – whether they present freewill gifts or payment of vows to the Lord as ^{▼▼burnt offering(s): Or holocaust, an offering completely burned to ashes; it was used in connection with worship, seeking God's favor, expiating sin, or averting judgment.}burnt offerings – 19 must offer an unblemished male ^v from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order for you to be accepted. 20 You are not to present anything that has a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.

21 “When a man presents a ^{▼▼fellowship sacrifice(s) or offering(s): An animal offering was given to maintain and strengthen a person's relationship with God. It was not required as a remedy for impurity or sin but was an expression of thanksgiving for various blessings. An important function of this sacrifice was to provide meat for the priests and the participants in the sacrifice; it was also called the peace offering or the sacrifice of well-being.}fellowship sacrifice to the Lord to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or flock, it has to be unblemished to be acceptable; there must be no defect in it. 22 You are not to present any animal to the Lord that is blind, injured, maimed, or has a running sore, festering rash, ^x or scabs; you may not put any of them on the altar as a fire offering to the Lord. ^y 23 You may sacrifice as a freewill offering any animal from the herd or flock that has an elongated or stunted limb, but it is not acceptable as a vow offering. 24 You are not to present to the Lord anything that has bruised, crushed, torn, or severed testicles; ^z you must not sacrifice them in your land. 25 Neither you nor ^{▼▼Lit nor from the hand of} a foreigner are to present food to your God from any of these animals. They will not be accepted for you because they are deformed and have a defect.” ^ab

26 The Lord spoke to Moses: 27 “When an ox, sheep, or goat is born, it must remain with ^{▼▼Lit under} its mother for seven days; from the eighth day ^ad on, it will be acceptable as a gift, a fire offering to the Lord. 28 But you are not to slaughter an animal from the herd or flock on the same day as its young. ^ae 29 When you sacrifice a thank offering ^af to the Lord, sacrifice it so that you may be accepted. 30 It is to be eaten on the same day. ^ag Do not let any of it remain until morning; I am Yahweh.

31 “You are to keep My commands and do them; I am Yahweh. 32 You must not profane My holy name; I must be treated as holy ^ah among the Israelites. I am Yahweh who sets you apart, 33 the One who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Yahweh.”